Introduction to the Textile Fiber

Basic concepts of textile fibers, classifications

Book suggestion:
Lif ve Elyaf Kimyası, Prof.Dr. Mehmet Saçak, Gazi Kitabevi
 Basic concepts of textile fibers
It is defined as one of the delicate, hair portions of the tissues of a plant or animal or other substances that are
very small in diameter in relation to there length.

A fiber is a material which is several hundred times as long as its thick.

• Textile fiber is a material mainly made from natural or synthetic sources. This material will be
converted into the making of textile yarns and fabrics; woven, knitted, nonwoven, and carpets. It
may be in a form of a apliable hair like strand or as the smallest visible unit of textile production.(1)

Textile fiber has some characteristics which differ between fiber to textile fiber.

Textile fiber can be spun into a yarn or made into a fabric by various methods including weaving,
knitting, braiding, felting, and twisting.
 Banana fiber is one kind of fiber but it is not a textile fiber.
Because it can not fill up the above properties. So we can
say that all fiber are not textile fiber.

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 Classification of Textile Fiber
Since from the past, there are many types of textile fiber that have been used or developed in textile production
such as cloth, rope, household and etc. In textile industry, fiber can be classified into two different types based on
their sources which are Natural fiber and Synthetic fibers.

Classification of textile fibers can be done in many ways. Some of them are as follows:

1. Classification according to their nature and origin.

2.Classification according to botanical/zoological/chemical name.
3.Classification according to the ability to attract water, i.e. moisture absorption.
4.Classification according to their thermoplasticity.
5.Classification according to their utility.
Classification according to their nature and origin

Textile fiber

Synthetic fibers
Natural fibers Man-made fibers

Natural fibers are those fibers which are available from the natural sources, viz. plants, animals, minerals, etc. The mineral
fibers are also referred as miscellaneous inorganic fibers.

Manmade fibers are those fibers which are developed by man. Man possesses a natural instinct of imitating nature and its
products. Textiles are no exception to it. He does it either using some natural resources and/or chemicals to produce fibers,
artificially.
Natural fiber
It is a fiber made from a material originated from natural sources. There are three main sources that can be obtained to
produce this kind of fiber. Cellulosic fiber (origin from plant), Protein fiber (origin from animal) and also Mineral fiber.
This kind of fiber could only produce a staple yarn (short fibers) in terms length which is not too long compare with
Synthetic fiber.
The dimensional structure of Natural fiber would be in hairiness surface because of their origin. Each kind of them has
their own characteristic and end-use demands. [2] [4]

Unlike the other two sources, Mineral fiber is obtainable from varieties of rock source which is also known as asbestos
fiber. It is a fibrous form of silicate made of magnesium and calcium. However, because of the risk of health problem may
occur the production of asbestos in textile industry have been decline [5]
Synthetic Fiber
The term Synthetic fiber refers to materials that is not originated in natural sources but are developed by human by using
chemical and mechanical process. Thus, Synthetic fiber is well-known as the Man-made fiber. Unlike Natural fiber, the
properties of this fiber can be determined or controlled early before the production occurs. Unlike natural, Synthetic fiber is
produce in a filament yarn or filament staple yarn base on the end-use. The dimensional appearance can be varies according
to the demands usage and in fact, it can be as same-like appearance and properties as the Natural fiber. [4]
“Synthetic based fiber” refers to a fiber that has been made totally by the man-made process by using chemical substance as
the sources. The properties of it will be determined totally at the initial for their demands by the manufacturer.

Synthetic fibers can also be classified in two groups, viz. (a) Heterochain fibers, e.g., polyester, polyamide, polyurethane,
polyurea fiber, etc., (b) Carbochain fibers, e.g. polyacrylonitrile, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride, polyolefin and
special purpose fluorine, etc., containing fibres.
The macromolecules of heterochain fibres contain in their main chain carbon atoms and atoms of other elements, such as,
oxygen and nitrogen. These polymers are usually obtained by polycondensation or polymerization of cyclic compounds.
The macromolecules of heterochain fibers have a carbon skeletal chain, i.e., they contain only carbon atoms in the main
chain. Such polymers are obtained by polymerization.
• The main source for the synthesis of synthetic fiber polymers is petrochemistry industry
products.
polypropylene
•propylene acrylonitrile acrylics
•propane
ammonia
•butane
•Gasoline
•Aromatics p-csylene p-teraphthalic acid polyester
•motorine
•Kerosene
•diesel fuel Ethylene glycol
•fuel oil
•liquefied natural gas
•liquefied petroleum gas
Spinneret
During synthetic fiber production, the polymer that will be used in the fiber preparation is transformed to
“polymer wires” by passing through its melt or solutions from a mold. This process is called fiber spinning.
Spinneret is a type of mold containing lots of very tiny pores/holes inside. It can be made up of metals or
glass. The numbers of pores, its diameter and shape vary depending on the usage purpose.

Filament
The polymer that is passed from spinneret rapidly formed into
polymer wires in infinite/endless length. Each of these
untreated wires are called filament. The filament concept also
fulfills the requirements for the definition of textile fiber. If the
filament is composed of one filament, then it’s called as
monofil ( sounds like monofilament), if it is composed of a few
numbers of filaments, then it’s called multifil (or yarn/thread).
• The fibers of toothbrushes, the fish line, and some thin socks are made up of
monofilaments.

?Homework: which polymer materials can be used in the preparation of these

products?

staple : these are the fibers whose lengths are not continous. E.g: wool, cotton
continuous fiber: the length of these fibers are accepted as infinite. Synthetic fibers

?Homework: Is there any example for continous fiber in the natural fibers?
The length/diameter ratio of natural fibers varies between certain ranges in the natural fibers. E.g

this ratio is betwen 1000-3000 for cotton and wool.